At this time of year, party season kicks into full swing. Friends, work, family, another work do, sports clubs and a whole host of other groups get together to celebrate.

And celebrating can mean food and more often than not it means copious amounts of alcohol!

So here’s 10 ideas that are absolute crackers for surviving the festive season and not eliminating all of your good work to achieve your goals.

1) The Water Chaser Method - a tried and tested method for limiting the effects of alcohol. For every drink consumed order a glass of water with it. Ok so you’ll spend more time in the loo, but hey that’s less time at the bar!

2) The Small Plates Method - this is backed by scientific research. Smaller plates means two things, firstly smaller portions and secondly, it means that even a small portion looks bigger and more filling.

3) The Scrooge Method - take only the amount of money you intend to spend. Alright, you can sponge a few drinks off others, but every little helps.

4) The Grinch Method - don’t feel obliged to say yes to absolutely every invite. Choose your celebrations wisely, arrange to meet at times and locations that are unlikely to turn into epic eating and drinking sessions.

5) The Eat Before You Go Method - control your food intake by eating before you go. This method can be used with buffet affairs where the temptation to consume at least one of absolutely everything is hard to resist. By eating at home and choosing something healthy and filling, appetite is reduced later on. It also means that the alcohol you consume won’t have as large an effect on you.

6) The Pre-Booked Taxi Method - arranging for someone to pick you up at a specific time can prevent nights from rolling on, and on, and on, until they become day!

7) The Support Crew Method - everyone knows that there’s power in numbers, so team up with someone equally determined not to let Christmas send them off the rails and offer each other support across the evening (or evenings) in question.

8) The Big Night Out Method - ok so you won’t find us recommending bingeing sessions very often, but for some people recognising that they are going to go out, relax and enjoy themselves can be a good way of preventing post-party guilt. All you’ve got to to do is get yourself back to your normal routine afterwards and the damage can be minimised. And remember, life is about balance after all.

9) The Day After The Night Before Method - one of the biggest dangers of a big night out is often the food consumed during the hangover period. Plan ahead like you’re planning a military operation. Get food in that you know is healthy and make sure you don’t have the junk food you know you’ll crave. Drink plenty of water when you get home and have healthy fluids available for the next day. Get lots of rest and try a gentle bit of exercise, a walk for a little fresh air is a good idea, a big circuits session is not!

10) The Public Confession Method - many of us don’t like to tell people just how bad we’ve been. So resolve to confess your sins publicly and post all of the food you ate and alcohol you drank on your social media feed.

Above all, as we’ve said, life is about balance. So it’s up to you if you want to use December as your month to enjoy yourself or you want to find a method that allows you to be that little bit healthier. Whichever you choose, make sure you enjoy yourself, it is Christmas after all!